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Affirmative Action: The Real Deal
Essay, Research Paper

The Necessity for Affirmative Action:

During the American Revolution Thomas
Jefferson and America’s founding fathers struggled for freedom and
equality. Years of agonizing battling took place, and finally
emancipation was gained and America was formed. As a society we have
grown to believe that America equals equality, when in fact it does
not. When the declaration of independence was created only white male
colonists were created equally. Over 224 years have gone by since our
foundation was laid, and unfortunately our original goal has not been
reached. Liberty and justice for all is still a utopian idea in the
minds of many but not all. There are three reasons our society has
not reached its original goal. First, there are large numbers of
people who believe that other races, and or genders are inferior.
Secondly there is evidence that shows minorities including African
Americans, Hispanics, and immigrants are being discriminated against
in the workplace. Finally, Affirmative Action has not received a fair
chance because of myths and misconceptions about the program. For the
above three reasons I believe Affirmative Action is a necessity in
America. Many Americans are extremely ignorant to the Affirmative
Action program. Many feel that Affirmative Action only pertains to
Blacks when it reaches so many more. The maintenance of the program
is of great importance to our country especially with a new President
in soon to be in office. It is of utmost importance that we as a
society learn about the program and its benefits so we can prepare
for the future, and eventually erase racial and gender issues in
every aspect of our country.

To have knowledge of why Affirmative
Action is needed, one should have a solid definition of the program.
Affirmative Action, as defined by the office of Affirmative Action,
equal opportunity, and diversity at the University of Rhode Island
is:

The written document through which
management assures that all persons have equal opportunities in
recruitment, selection, appointment, promotion, training, discipline
and related employment areas. The plan is tailored to the employer’s
work force and the skills available in the labor force. It prescribes
specific actions, goals, timetables, and responsibilities and
describes resources to meet identified needs. The plan is a
comprehensive results oriented program designed to achieve equal
employment opportunity rather than merely to assure
nondiscrimination.

Affirmative Action is all of the
above, but it is not reverse discrimination. Affirmative Action is an
outreach program that attempts to recruit minority applicants. ?It
presupposes an undertaking to remedy underutilization of women and
minorities through express consideration of race and or gender.?
(Player 59) Affirmative Action programs are designed to ensure fair
criteria for all applicants. Currently, 86% of available jobs are not
advertised — they are filled by word-of-mouth. Since white men
still own and manage most US businesses, they tend to know and hire
other white male applicants. Affirmative Action creates a level
playing field, and some may not receive the advantage they are
accustomed too. (Williams 4)

There are several misconceptions
about Affirmative Action. Many arguers against Affirmative Action say
jobs are being given to unqualified people. Many also believe that
Affirmative Action is a quota system that places those
under-qualified applicants into vacant positions. This is a myth; in
reality no Affirmative Action programs require anyone to accept
substandard or unqualified applicants. These programs actually expand
the pool of qualified applicants who might otherwise not know about
the opening or not be provided an equal opportunity at being
accepted. The Affirmative Action program has five major elements that
someone utilizing the system must establish before a negative claim
can be filed. 1) A plaintiff was in an Affirmative Action protected
class 2) Plaintiff applied for the position 3) Defendant had a
vacancy in which the applicant applied 4) Plaintiff was qualified 5)
Plaintiff was denied the position and the defendant continued to seek
applicants. The fourth element of the process clearly states that an
applicant must be qualified. An employer can deny the position to any
under-qualified person. With progression in our society Affirmative
Action will no longer be needed. In fact, the education system no
longer utilizes the Affirmative Action program because of progress.
However, a professor an anonymous professor at Emory University said,

?Without Affirmative Action choosing
college for some would never have been an option. Our country is now
at a point where we all different types of races at schools. It is
with this program that we have made so much progress. It is with this
program that we will continue to make progress, it is without this
program those out of the dominant culture will remain out, and our
country will regress.?

Another myth is that some feel
Affirmative Action is only a program with intent on helping African
Americans. For example Shawn Wright was asked his feelings on
Affirmative Action and he said, ? Blacks have fought the fight, its
over. If they want a job they just need to hop their lazy butts up
and get one. Affirmative Action is just giving away jobs to the lazy
people.? Affirmative Action is a program for African Americans and
other minorities in the country. But, what many like Shawn Wright
fail to realize is, Affirmative Action is also a plan for women!
Women are one of the most highly discriminated against group in the
world. Women, not the underprivileged nor the minority, face the
highest risks if Affirmative Action is taken away.

Last year the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission, or EEOC, required employers to pay a total of
$72 million to plaintiffs in sex-discrimination cases, an amount far
greater than those awarded in other classes of suits. Adding together
awards for sex and pregnancy discrimination and sexual harassment
nets $127 million. These costs are a fraction of the total costs of
sex-based affirmative action, but they do give some indication of the
relative magnitude of affirmative action costs for different groups.

In this evidence from the EEOC, it is
shown that women currently are being treated unfairly. Many fail to
realize that just forty years ago in America women were not fully
considered citizens, and did not have the same rights as men. Now in
corporate America evidence of the inferiority of women still shows. A
survey by Korn/Ferry International in 1992 asked women if the glass
ceiling still existed for women. Of the 439 surveyed a whopping 93%
believed so. 97% of upper management in corporate America is white
men. It is very important that people understand that race does not
necessarily contribute to every aspect of inequalities. Elderly men
and women, of all races are also highly discriminated against in the
workplace because of stereotypes about their work ethic. Over the
years many Elderly Americans have been forced into early retirement,
or not given employment simply because of their age. Elderly
qualified workers deserve chances for employment just as anyone else
does.

There is sufficient evidence that
supports Affirmative Action as an excellent plan to ease inequalities
in the workplace. One of the most obvious facts that support
Affirmative Action is blatant discrimination as a continuing problem
in the labor market. The most convincing evidence comes from “audit”
studies, in which white male and minority (male and female) job
seekers are given similar resumes and sent to the same set of firms
to apply for a job. These studies often find that employers are less
likely to interview or offer a job to minority applicants or to
female applicants. In this study the white male would have an equally
qualified resume as a minority. The researchers would typically send
the minority in to apply for the position first. The minority in
every case whether male or female, Asian or Latino, would be sent out
with no job. However, when the white male was sent in to apply for
the same job, in every case he was chosen regardless of the
qualifications. It was obvious that the winning decision was skin
color and gender. (Francis 32).

In conclusion, my claim is that
Affirmative Action is currently needed in America. If America wants
to be a truly equal and diverse country, then Affirmative Action
needs to continue. Through facts and evidence it is shown that
discrimination, ignorance, and feelings of inferiority are widely
spread throughout our country. For the preceding three reasons
Affirmative Action is a necessity. Americans have been given rights,
and those rights include being created and treated equally. It is the
duty of the country to uphold that the rights of every citizen are
being upheld. The country would do its citizens, including women,
elderly, and minority groups a great disservice if the Affirmative
Action program ended.

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